Alphabet Sup!

Very nice! : )

Debs

I like 'Alphabet Sup', thanks Debs!

This is a better link for the full size version here

(I needed my techie friend to help me host it on my own site)

A bottle of wine a day is not bad for you and abstaining is worse than drinking, scientist claims

http://www.independent.co.uk/l...-claims-9271010.html

A bottle a week is enough for me! 

Debs

Debs,

Interesting reading. I wonder whether this 'expert' is rationalizing his own habits. Four to five pints of beer a day? That's equivalent to a six-pack in the US. I think most would consider that rate of consumption an addiction. Certainly not healthy in the long term.

After Thanksgiving late Nov I noticed a sale cart with imported Italian Egg noodles which I bought 6 packages, I should have bought the rest. 2 days later Hawlskstone red wine from Staggs Leap in Napa called Connoisseur Series "Meritage"  no date. Managers special $10 so don't know original price, I bought 6 bottles, there were more but I had enough to carry home. Went to Santa Barbara for Xmas and my BD with friends. Took 5 bottles for gifts, but with such a great meal it was a wonderful deep red. I brought the other 4 home and will store them for a few years way in back in my lower cabinet.

This should be ok with oven baked Atlantic Redfish with root vegetables.

A bottle a day keeps the doc away!

Who need champagne when you have a box of Col Vetoraz Cartizze Superiore!

Opened this right now. Room temperated. Candied fruit, nuts, rum raisin, caramel. Great acidity and a velvety soft mouthfeel. Bought it for around £80 at my local wine monopoly. A bargain!

Sounds like a bargain!

1934, bottled in 2012? Must be a Vin Doux Naturel (fortified wine) of some description, what is it, a Rivesaltes?

It's impressive that a monopoly would even bother with such esoterica, when they do not have to. I know the head of Systembolaget in Sweden, and the more I hear about what they do, and how they do it, the more I think it's not the constrictive system that it superficially appears to be.

Good luck with the wine! If it is what I think it is, it will keep open for quite some time (and sealed almost indefinitely), so stock up on a few more, I would!

Cheers

Rod

It's a Rivesaltes yes. 

The Wine Monopoly is a great system, imho, with a wide range of products. You don't see a bottle of wine under £9, but the more expensive stuff is cheap compared to other markets.

I found this on another site:

"

If you like a good wine then you are in the right country. This sounds strange but good wine is cheap in Norway!!
I even know an italian who buys italian wine here in Norway and brings it back to Italy.
The reason why good wine is cheap has to do with the pricing at the Vinmonopolet.
The price you pay in most countries is the wholesale price, a big mark up based on the wholesale price) and a minor or moderate tax on alcohol based on the amount of alcohol.
In Norway you pay a wholesale price (since Vinmonopolet is a big player in the market they can get a good price), a small mark and a high tax on alcohol based on the amoount of alcohol.
Since the percentage of alcohol in expensive and cheap wines is roughly the same, so the tax on both is also the same. Since the mark up is low and the wholesale price is good, you get a good wine for a fair price and an excelent wine cheap.

"

A trip to my local wine merchant today to keep my cellar stock up,

and 2 cases purchased...

12 x Vincuña Cabernet Sauvignon

my usual purchase,

fab taste and superb value for £6.50 a bottle 

and 

12 x Sesti Grangiovese Toscan / something new for the tastebuds...

£13.90 per bottle (less a bit of discount for a dozen)

had a sample of this while in the shop, 

1st impression;

dry, not much body, not up to room temp but nice bouquet, wonderful cherry colour, pleasant taste, probably good aperitif.

My first glass at home is also very pleasant, even though still not up to room temp,

probably improve tomorrow : )

Debs

Lots of raisins, dates, licorice. Black olives,  blackcurrant.

Well balanced. More of this please.

Paid £85 for this last year here in Norway. It sold for £160 in the UK. 

I tasted a brilliant Montilla yesterday as it happens.

Always in the shadow of Sherry, whereas in fact the very word "Amontillado" is a homage to Montilla, at the time considered the superior wine. I love all wines of that style. An acquired taste (so, in that respect, no different to olives, coffee, mushrooms or beer) but one well worth acquiring, and the only wine that successfully accompanies soup (the whole liquid with liquid thing usually wrecking most wine combinations).

Meanwhile, if you would like to just know why your wine tastes the way it does, I just wrote a piece for a magazine, published here:

http://www.rivierawineacademy....119&blogTopicID=

Cheers

Rod

I just shared a bottle of 'Lugana' Villa Flora with my wife bought by dear friend of ours, never had it before but it just simply 'hit the nail on the head' when it came to taste.  Its a white wine from Italy best served chilled,

Billaud-Simon 2011 Premier Cru Chablis. Stunning

Phillipe Gavignet Nuits St George Vielles Vignes 2010. Great vinosity, delicious.

I wondered what had happened to this thread and discovered it had fallen victim to the rather overly keen auto thread closure feature (now made rather less keen).  

Anyway, a friend came down for a weekend of Porcini hunting brought with him a new wine to me, La Fralluca Sangiovese 2009.  Despite having started my working life in the wine trade I admit to having a bit of a blind spot when it comes to Italian wines; just too many expensive disappointments. And so this Italian wine came as something of a joyous relief - it's absolutely delicious and highly recommended.  I'm going to buy some more...

Opened a bottle of this with my son during his birthday dinner yesterday. It's been the best Rioja I've had the pleasure to drink over the last couple of years. Unfortunately I only have one bottle lest of the 2005 vintage. I have a couple of cases of the 2010 Muga which I've yet to sample. I also bought some 2005 Vina Ardanza Reserva after enjoying a few bottles with meals in Spain recently.

A friend brought back some interesting wines for me to try from Croatia.  A few nights ago I opened a bottle of this Matusko Postup to accompany Shepherd's Pie.  I had no great expectations but...  mmm.. it's rather good, and a lovely lick of vanilla to boot.  I'd buy some more, if the price is right.

New Zealand claret style wine from excellent 2013 vintage in Hawkes Bay. Delicious ripe fruit but good tannic structure so will last another 5 years.

The difference between Champagne and italian Prosecco is that if you try to adulterate the first in some way then you can throw it away.

But it's not always true that the second can be manipulated so much if you want to still call it wine.

We have to live with sulphite.......

In the vast number of brands i can remember i could suggest Ca' Del Del Bosco, Foss Marai, Perin.

Lately i've found this that at 4,90 euros a bottle (my dealer price) is a valid option to other more expensive labels.

If you don't decide to buy some taste-aike labels in supermarkets of course.

You're right but it was just to simplify as the grapes variety is about the same in both Franciacorta and Treviso area.

Both white, black Pinot and Chardonnay with the difference that Prosecco contains grey Pinot, other not famous grapes and Verdiso which is another great frugal stll white (or "tranquillo" as they call it)  you can find bottled as stand alone.

Ca' Del Bosco Cuvee Prestige is sold here at 25 euros a bottle while a Biasiotto (Valdobbiadene) Foss Marai comes at about 18 euros.

Both superb products, both from the same grapes albeit different grounds.

In both areas they follow both the italian method or the classic. It depends on the kind of product you want to have. The classic method is more rare in Prosecco production. When they want to have what they call "superiore" they apply a "charmat lungo" method that consists in about 3 months autoclave aging.

Despite the different methods i (we) call it both Prosecco and this comes from the structure of the wine. Bubbles aside they both share the same in my (our) opinion.

I live at 40 klms from Valdobbiadene but please believe i've found very good Prosecco from ex Yugoslavia as well. Indeed that with Friuli is the area where it all started a long time ago.

Anyway.....is the mouth that talk in the end.

Salute!